Pet exerciser



Dec. 1, 1964 c. M. PATEREK 3,159,141

PET EXERCISER Filed NOV- 8, 1965 INVENTOR. CONCETTA M. DATEREK 4 BY I i 0 2/Z% M$MM e6 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,159,1 %1 PET EXERCISER Concetta Pd. Paterelr, 170 Uninn Ave, Somerville, NJ. Filed Nov. 8, 1%3, Ser. No. 322,329 Claims. ((11. 1119-29) This invention relates to a novel exerciser and plaything for domestic pets.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a practical and eflicient device of the kind indicated, which is adapted to serve as a claw groomer, a climbable ramp, a shelter, and other things to a pet, and as a collector and depository of pet hair, which would otherwise be shed around a room or other area.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which is readily collapsible for compact storage, and which, when collapsed, can serve as a reclining or sleeping support for a pet, the ramp being adapted to be easily adjusted to different angles to accommodate different pets or for other purposes.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device of the present invention, set up for use;

FIGURE 2 is a front end elevation of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view, like FIGURE 3, showing the device in collapsed condition.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a generally rectangular, longitudinally elongated base 10, which comprises a horizontal, forwardly opening, U-shaped preferably tubular member 12, having a cross member 14 extending between the rear ends of parallel spaced legs 16. Protective plugs 18 are secured in the open forward ends of the legs 16.

A relatively narrow, transversely elongated cross plate 20 extends between the legs 16, and has a forward edge 22, which is substantially flush with the forward ends of the legs. As shown in FIGURE 3, the upper surface 24 of the plate 22 is substantially flush with the upper surfaces of the legs 16, while the under surface 26 of the plate 22, extends below the legs 16, so as to engage a supporting surface and support the legs in upwardly'spaced relation thereto. The plate 22 is suitably secured to the legs 16, as by means of screws 28 extending through the legs into the ends of the plate 22.

Forward and rear lateral stop pins 36) and 32 extend outwardly from the legs 16, the forward stop pins3tl being located close to the rear edge of the plate 22, and the rear pins located near to the midlength points of the legs 16, respectively.

A longitudinally elongated fiat rectangular ramp plate 34, which is longer and narrower than the base 10, has a forward end 35 and a rear end 38, and is hinged, at its ramp plate.

This arrangement enables the ramp plate 34 to be hinged 3,15a141 Patented Dec. 1, 1964 down to a collapsed ne'arly horizontal position for storage, as shown in FIGURE 5, in upwardly spaced relation to the base 10.

The ramp plate 34 is covered by a full length covering 50, which is preferably in the form of a rectangular sheet wrapped around the side edges of the ramp plate 34, with the ends of the sheet secured together, as indicated at 52, at the underside of the ramp plate. The covering 50 is of such material as will serve to safely anchor the claws of a pet climbing or descending the ramp, and to act as an abradent for grooming or smoothing the claws of a pet, in

' the interest of preventing claw damage to other objects in a room .or other area. A suitable material for the covering is carpet material but is not limited to being carpet.

Suitably fixed to the underside of the ramp plate 34 is a pair of laterally spaced hinge brackets 54, through which is journaled the upper cross member 56 of a prop 58. The prop 58 comprises parallel spaced legs 60, which extend downwardly from the ends of the upper cross member 56, and a lower cross member 62, fixed, as indicated at 64, to the lower ends of the legs 60. The lower cross member 62 is longer than the upper cross member 56, and has downturned ends 66, adapted to embrace the outer sides of the base legs 16 when the prop 58 is in a vertical operative position. The lower cross member 62 of the prop 58 is adapted to bear upon the base legs 16, between the forward and rear stop pins 30 and 32, respectively.

As shown in FIGURE 3, when the downturned ends 66 of the prop 58 are engaged with the forward stop pins 30, the ramp is supported at a high angle, relative to the base 10, and at a lower angle, when the ends 66 are engaged with the rear stop pins 32.

For the purposes of holding the ramp down in place and preventing collapse of the device while in use; and of providing additional means of play and exercise by a pet, a cord 68, as shown in FIGURE 2, is strung through pairs oflaterally spaced eyes 70, secured in and upstanding from the forepart of the cross plate 22, and through pairs of laterally spaced forwardly extending eyes 72, secured in the forward edge of the ramp plate 34, the pairs of up per eyes 72 being located between adjacent pairs of lower eyes 70. The cord 68 is passed through and between the eyes 70 and 72, so as to produce vertical inner flights 74 and vertical outer flights 76, thelatter being tied, as indicated at 78, through outer eyes 80, in the forward end of the ramp plate. The cord 68 preferably has tassels 82,

on its ends, which hang free, to be played with by a pet.

In use and operation, a pet is enabled to amuse itself and obtain exercise, by crawling, leaping, or'walking up and down the ramp, hiding under the ramp to avoid a draft, and by playing with the cord flights and the cord tassels. In coming in contact with the device, hair, which otherwise would be objectionably shed on furniture or other objects in a room or other area, are rubbed off and deposited on the device and its immediate area, so that housekeeping chores are reduced from what they would otherwise be.

"Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A pet exerciser having a horizontal base comprising a forwardly opening U-shaped member having laterally spaced legs having forward ends and a cross member extending between and fixed to the rear ends of the legs, a

cross plate extending between and secured to the legs at their forward ends, a flat ramp plate overlying the .base i and having forward and rear ends, hinge means journaled son the base cross member and extending upwardly therelegs on the ends of said upper cross member, a lower cross member fixed to the lower ends of the prop legs, said lower cross member terminating in down-turned ends engaging the outersides of the base legs, said base legs having laterally outwardly projecting and longitudinally spaced stop pins adapted to be engaged by said downturned ends, at different times.

2. A pet exerciser according to claim 1 wherein re-' leasable hold-down means extends between and is secured to said cross plate and theforward end of the ramp plate.

on the cross plate so as to define laterally spacedvertical inner flights and outer flights.

4. A pet exerciser comprising a horizontalbase having laterally-spaced legs having forward and rear ends,'a cross member extending between'and fixed to the rear ends of the legs, a cross'plate extending between and secured to the legs at their'forward ends, a flat ramp overlying the 3. A pet exerciser according to claim 1, wherein re- 1 leasable hold-down means extends between and is secured V to said crosss plate and the forward end of the ramp plate, said hold-down means comprising pairs of laterally spaced inner eyes and single outer eyes on the forward end of the ramp plate, pairs of laterally spaced inner eyes base and having forward and rear ends, means connecting the rear end of said ramp to the base cross member for movement of said ramp from the overlying position to an upWardly-sloping direction position with respect to said base, a prop having one end pivotally connected to the underside of the ramp intermediate the ends thereof, the other end of said prop being provided with means adapted to engage the base legs, and spacedpairs of pins on the base legs and adapted to be engaged by the engaging means on the other end of said prop at difi'erenttimes.

5. The pet exerciser according to claim 4 which includes in addition releasable hold-down means extending between and secured to said cross plate and the forward end of said ramp for holding said ramp at high and low angles of the upwardly-sloping direction position relative to said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 

4. A PET EXERCISER COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL BASE HAVING LATERALLY-SPACED LEGS HAVING FORWARD AND REAR ENDS, A CROSS MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND FIXED TO THE REAR ENDS OF THE LEGS, A CROSS PLATE EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO THE LEGS AT THEIR FORWARD ENDS, A FLAT RAMP OVERLYING THE BASE AND HAVING FORWARD AND REAR ENDS, MEANS CONNECTING THE REAR END OF SAID RAMP TO THE BASE CROSS MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID RAMP FROM THE OVERLYING POSITION TO AN UPWARDLY-SLOPING DIRECTION POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE, A PROP HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RAMP INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, THE OTHER END OF SAID PROP BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE BASE LEGS, AND SPACED PAIRS OF PINS ON THE BASE LEGS AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE ENGAGING MEANS ON THE OTHER END OF SAID PROP AT DIFFERENT TIMES. 